King Under the Sea
by circa1994
Summary: Underwater anthro adaptation of King of the Jungle.
1. Chapter 1

The sun shone through the clear waters of the reef as two dolphin calves chased one another through the coral.

"Ha ha.", the female chuckled as she tackled her friend into ocean's sandy bottom. "Pinned ya Nai'a!"

"Ah let me go Makana!", the male grumbled in an annoyed fashion.

"Okay princey.", she chuckled as she let him up.

Nai'a ran his hand along his face, removing sand from his dark grey hide. He smirked as he launched himself at Makana again, sending the tri-colored cow to the seabed.

"Ha!", Makana laughed as she flipped herself and her friend over. "Pinned ya again."

"He he.", a feminine voice chuckled from above. "Young love."

"Mom!", Nai'a said.

"Good morning Queen Lima-loa.", Makana said bowing politely.

The queen adjusted the greenstone studded band about her head before she replied. "Good morning to you too Makana."

"Is dad back yet?", Nai'a asked hopefully.

"Not yet Nai'a.", Lima-loa answered.

"Good morning young master.", a marine iguana said as he swam over a coral outcrop.

"Hi Ne'ena.", the two calves said simultaneously.

The reptile chuckled as he bowed. "King Kini said to tell you he will arrive shortly, once he has finished chasing the sharks out of the kingdom."

"I wish he'd let me come.", Nai'a mused disappointedly.

"Don't fret young master.", Ne'ena said. "When your're king you can chase those cartilaginous cretins from dawn til dusk."

"Back to the crevice Kamipulu!", the viper dogfish shouted as he clung tightly to the sand devil's shoulder.

"Got it Ho'oh!", Kamipulu replied, gripping their dead squid in his clawed hands.

"All this for one little squid.", Ho'oh grumbled as he looked behind him, seeing a spinner dolphin nock an arrow to his whalebone bow.

"Drop the meat poachers!", a voice boomed from above.

The two young sharks gulped quietly as they looked up towards the surface. "King Kini.",they said quietly.

"Surrender now and I will only have imprisoned.", the large dolphin growled, waving his speckled greenstone mere.

"Okay.", the two shark pups said, setting their catch down and getting on their knees.

"Bind them.", the king ordered two of his soldiers.

The dolphins nodded, pulling cords from their belts.

"Take those off.", Kini ordered, gesturing to the sharptooth laced cords about the sand devil's hands and forearms.

"Yes sir.", the sand devil as he began fiddling with the lacing of his weapons.

The king swam down to the seabed, standing over the crouched sand devil.

 _Now!,_ the shark pups thought simultaneously.

Kamipulu surged upwards, ramming his elbow into the king's groin.

Kini groaned in pain, his mere slipping from his grasp.

Ho'oh grinned, clapping his webbed hands together. The sand swirled around him and his friend as the king's guards loosed arrows towards them.

Kini growled in anger as he watch the sand settle, with his quarry nowhere to be seen.

"You two.", he said, gesturing to a harbor porpoise and a black dolphin. "Keep searching for the poachers, if you find them kill them."

"Yes sir!", the two said, saluting with their weapons as the king and the rest of his guards turned to leave.


	2. Chapter 2

"The king has returned!", a spinner dolphin shouted as she saluted with her bow.

"Alright dad's back.", Nai'a shouted, swimming towards the returning hunting party.

Lima-loa chuckled as she followed her son at a more dignified pace.

"Dad!', Nai'a shouted, diving into Kini's arms.

"Hello son.", Kini chuckled as he embraced his son.

"How went the hunt my king?", Lima-loa asked.

"The poachers escaped.", Kini answered quietly.

"At least you're safe.", the queen said, wrapping her arms around her king.

"What happened dad?", Nai'a asked, curious.

"Nothing Nai'a.", Kini answered.

"You said last night you'd teach me to use the mere.", Nai'a reminded his father eagerly.

"Hmm…that I did.", Kini replied. "Follow me son."

"Yes!", Nai'a exclaimed excitedly as he swam after his father.

"Picking anything up on your sonar?", the black dolphin asked the harbor porpoise.

"No Rangi.", the harbor porpoise answered. "I'm going up for air."

"Alright.", Rangi relied, twirling his stone patu by its wrist cord as his companion flicked his fluke and swam towards the surface.

"They're splitting up Ho'oh.", Kamipulu whispered as he lifted himself off the seabed slightly.

"Alright you stay here.", Ho'oh said. "I'll swim up there, get his attention."

"Got it.", the sand devil replied. "I'll be waiting."

Rangi lazily flicked his fluke as he drew a small wineskin from a pouch on his leg. _Good stuff_ , he thought as he took a pull of the briny booze.  
"Huh?", he started as a sudden current tore the pouch from his grasped and carried it behind him.

"Hey big guy.", Ho'oh said tauntingly, waving the wineskin in his hands.

"You've had it now poacher!", Rangi shouted angrily as Ho'oh ditched the wineskin and darted down towards the seabed.

 _Heh heh, good job_ , Kamipulu thought as he watched the dolphin follow the dogfish down towards his hiding place.

"I see such plentiful waters have made you soft!", Ho'oh shouted over his shoulder as he channeled his magic into the water around himself to increase his speed.

 _Stupid mindless cuttlefish_ , Rangi thought as he swam faster. _I'll pin you to the seabed in a minute_.

 _Now_ , Kamipulu thought as Ho'oh passed over him. The sand devil leapt from the mud, his cavernous jaws agape.

Rangi's eyes widened in shock as Kamipulu's maw filled his vision. "Gahhh!", he screamed as his head was engulfed, his patu sinking from his fingers as he thrashed around frantically.

Kamipulu growled triumphantly as his sharp teeth hooked into the dolphin's flesh, caused a red cloud to expand around them.

"Rangi!", the porpoise exclaimed as he swam back down, nocking an arrow to his bowstring. He took aim and loosed the arrow.

 _Uh oh_ , Ho'oh thought as he saw the arrow darting towards them. He stretched out his hands, manipulating the water around the arrow to alter its trajectory.

"Argh!", Rangi gurgled as the arrow sunk into his shoulder.

"Damn!", the porpoise swore as nocked another arrow.

"No you don't.", Ho'oh laughed as he clenched his fist and drew it back.

"Wha-?", the porpoise gasped as his bow was torn from his grasp by an unseen force.

Kamipulu jerked his head back, stripping meat from Rangi's head as the shark launched himself at his next opponent.

The porpoise drew his bone dagger as Kamipulu closed the distance between them.

The porpoise thrust his knife forwards, only for the shark to counter by raking his tooth-laced forearm across his wrist.

"Gah!", the porpoise exclaimed, releasing his grip.

Wasting no time, Kamipulu drew a cord from his belt, swiftly wrapping it around the thrashing porpoise's neck.

The water churned around them as the cords began tightening about the cetacean's throat, cutting off his oxygen supply.

Grunting with effort, Kamipulu put his feet into his enemy's back and pulled harder.


	3. Chapter 3

Nai'a watched his father draw his speckled greenstone mere from his embellished hide belt.

"This, Nai'a is Riri.", Kini said, twirling the weapon by its wrist cord, before holding it out to his son.

"Woah!", the dolphin pup breathed out as he took his family's heirloom into his hands. "This is awesome!", he declared, swinging the weapon a few times.

"Not like that.", Kini chuckled. He took his son's arm, turning his wrist slightly. "Make sure you get the edge aligned correctly."

"Like this?", Nai'a asked, making a few more strikes.

"Perfect son.", Kini said smiling. "Now to parry you use this.", the king said, lifting his left arm, which was covered by a cloth arm guard.

"Uhh sire?", Ne'ena called from up at the surface above them.

"Yes my friend?", Kini asked, looking up at the lizard.

"Rangi has returned.", Ne'ena said. "The sharks hurt him bad."

"Come on son.", Kini said. "Let's go home."

"Now that was too close.", Ho'oh said, biting down on a squid tentacle.

"Think they'll come looking for us?", Kamipulu asked, swallowing part of the squid's mantle.

"I don't know.", the viper dogfish replied as he picked part of a suction cup from his fangs. "The air breathers don't usually swim down into our prison." He opened his jaws to take another bite, then frozen, his expression worried.

"What is it, what do you sense?", Kamipulu asked.

"Under the sand now!", Ho'oh said urgently.

Kamipulu nodded, burrowing swiftly into the sea bed as he hid Ho'oh and their food under himself.

"Not good.", Ho'oh whispered as he looked up, seeing a large pod of pygmy killer whale's swimming over the crevice, all heavily armed.

"Look at that guy!", Kamipulu exclaimed quietly, staring at the pod's largest bull.

"Quiet!", Ho'oh whispered, nudging the shark above him. "He's looking this way!"

The large bull's verse filled the canyon as the bull stared down towards the seabed.

"I'm going to get a closer look.", Ho'oh whispered, looking down the canyon. He clasped his clawed hands together and concentrated.

"What if they see it?", Kamipulu asked as what appeared to be a clear gelatinous mass in the shape of a small eye appeared in Ho'oh's hands.

"I doubt they would suspect it to be anything other than a little jellyfish.", the dogfish answered as he sent his conjuration towards the pod above, using his magic to see through its eye.

"These waters seem fruitful.", the bull rumbled. "What say you, Inaina?"

"I agree Tiwha.", answered the female blackfish as she floated next to the bull.

"We should wait awhile, see what's what before we make our move.", Tiwha said, his hand caressing the hilt of the long mere thrust through his belt.

"Think we should be concerned about what that harbor porpoise said?", Inaina asked as she picked a bit of flesh from her teeth.

"Depending on how powerful said king and his army are, maybe.", Tiwha replied.

"Shall I make a scouting mission lord?", a smaller bull asked Tiwha.

"Yes take two others with you and be sure to report back by tomorrow night, Oro."

"Yes Lord.", Oro said saluting with his patu. "Mano, you and Pele are with me."

 _I may yet be a ruler again,_ Tiwha thought as his sonar picked up a small creature hovering near his nose.

"Hmm.", Ho'oh mused. "From the scar across that big bull's eyes, I would guess he's blind."

The big bull lunged forwards and snapped his jaws around the jelly.

"But it would seem his sonar works just find.", the dogfish added as his conjuration disappear down the blackfish's throat. "Let's go home."

Kini stared down at Rangi as he lay on a bed of kelp, his head still bleeding profusely.

"I don't think he'll last the night sire.", said the vaquita as he attempted to bandage the porpoise's head.

"Do what you can for him, Hoalona.", the king sighed as he swam out of his shaman's cave.

"Hi Dad!", Nai'a said as he pounced on his father.

"Hello son.", Kini said, patting his son on the head.

"You said you'd show me the kingdom a day or two ago.", the pup reminded his father.

"So I did, Nai'a.", Kini chuckled. "Come with me."

"Yeah!", the little pup cheered as he swam after his father towards the top of the sea mount.

"See son?", Kini said staring out into the ocean. "Everywhere the sun shines, is our kingdom."

"Woah!", Nai'a breathed excitedly. "What about that shadowy place?"

"That canyon is where the sharks have be exiled to.", the king said, grimacing.

"What for?", Nai'a asked.

"Poaching and excessive hunting, draining the kingdom's resources.", Kini answered. "They've been condemned to live amongst the bones of dead whales and in darkness for the rest of their monstrous kind's existence."

"Stinkin' dolphins.", the winghead shark grumbled as he bandaged his tail. "I won't be able to swim right for a week."

"He he.", chuckled the starry smoothhound as he tossed a sardine into his mouth.

"Shut up Hehena.", the winghead muttered.

"Quit gripping Kolope'e.", said a female leopard shark as she polished her blueish green mere.

"I got an arrow in my tail!", Kolope'e exclaimed. "And for what, one little mackerel, Hae?"

"Would you rather go hungry?", Hae asked, thrusting her mere back into her belt. She sat down on her woven mat and stared up towards the surface.

 _We've been down here a long time,_ she thought to herself.

"What's that?", Kolope'e asked, drawing his swordfish bill from his belt as a loud verse sounded over the canyon.

"It sounds like Kini's warriors caught someone.", Hae replied, standing up.

She looked up towards the lip of the canyon, seeing a group of dolphins pushing along a bound zebra bullhead shark. The unceremoniously shoved the fish off the cliff, watching as he sank towards the bottom.

"It's Tahei.", she said, flicking her tail and swimming towards the fallen shark.

"What's he gotten himself into now?", Kolope'e wondered aloud. "Come on brother.", he said, nudging Hehena.

"He he.", the smoothhound chuckled as he followed the winghead down the canyon.

"And stay down there where you belong!", one of the dolphins bellowed down before he and the rest of them turned and swam off.

"What happened?", Hae asked as she pulled the hide band away from Tahei's mouth.

"They caught me gathering mussels up top.", Tahei answered as Kolope'e began untying his hands. "They struck me several times with a stick but that was about it."

"Go see Gali, she should be able to tend to your wounds.", Hae said, looking at the many welts and cuts along the sharks back.

Tahei nodded and swam off.

"Uhh.", Hae sighed, leaning against the canyon wall. _It would seem those two are back,_ she thought as a sand devil swam through the canyon, clutching the remains of a squid. "Hey, Kamipulu!"

"Hello Hae.", Kamipulu said.

"I see you two pups have been getting into trouble.", she said, crossing her arms.

"Au contraire my selachii pal, we've been getting into food.", Ho'oh said, swimming up onto Kamipulu's shoulder.

"Uh what am I going to do with those two?", Hai wondered aloud as the two pups continued swimming down the canyon.


	4. Chapter 4

"And we're finished my prince.", Hoalona said as he tapped his ivory chisel a couple more times.

"Woah.", Nai'a said as he flicked his fluke around to see the spearhead patterned etched into his tail just above his fin.

"And when you are older you'll have the memory of many more victories etched into your skin.", Kini said proudly.

"Like you?", Nai'a asked hopefully, staring at the multitude of patterns and images covering his father's torso.

"Yes son, like me." , the king replied. "Now I think it's time we all went up for air."

"Race you to the surface!", Nai'a shouted, flicking his newly embellished fluke hard as he darted towards the surface.

"Ha ha ha.", Kini laughed at his son's antics as he followed him up.

"Wahoo!", Nai'a laughed as he broke the surface, leaping into the air with his species' characteristic spin.

He landed back in the sea with a loud splash, giggling with childish glee.

"Have you been keeping up with your studies?", Kini asked the prince.

"Yes dad.", Nai'a answered.

"Tell me some of our history.", Kini asked.

"Well the kingdom was founded centuries ago by King Longirostris the Great.", the prince replied. "This occurred after conquering Chief Porpo and the King of the Short Snouts."

"Correct son.", Kini replied, grinning. "And when were the sharks banished?"

"During the reign of King Kane of Ewalu Islands.", Nai'a answered.

"And why did the wicked King Kane banish us down here?", Hae asked as she hovered over the group of shark pups.

"For allying with his predecessor and rival King Pohatu.", Ho'oh replied.

"Wow you two were actually paying attention.", Hae said.

"Just because we're 'a couple of feral little sharklings' doesn't mean we can pay attention when we want to.", Ho'oh shot back. "Why if I was inattentive I'd never have survived my quest through 'The Dark Depths'", the viper dogfish began.

"Wow Ho'oh, you sure do have some great stories.", a young horn shark said as more of the pups began looking at the duo.

"Umm…children?", Hae began.

"Yeah tell us one!", a young winghead said, swishing her tail excitedly.

"Children!", Hae commanded loudly.

"Hmmm…have I told the one I escaped from them maw of one of the great gulpers?", Ho'oh asked.

"We haven't heard that one.", a young tope replied.

"Ugghh.", Hae groaned as the other pups gathered around the duo as Ho'oh began his fantastic tale.

 _How am I suppose to lead the whole of the Canyon Shoal if I can't even keep one little class of pups on task?,_ the leopard shark thought to herself.

The harbor porpoise gasped in pain as the blackfish's long mere cut into his forearm. His bone dagger slide from his bloody fingers as he swam back from his antagonist.

"Keep fighting!", the porpoise ordered as he retreated behind a pair of spinner dolphins who slashed and thrust with their obsidian blades.

"Gah!", a dolphin screamed as the blackfish struck his hand with a backhanded swing.

The weapon continued on its arc, striking the other dolphin in the jaw.

Tiwha smirked at the images his sonar produced as he reversed the momentum of his mere and cut into the surviving dolphin's melon.

"Who are you?!", the porpoise shouted in anger as he stood on the seabed, clutching his injured limb.

"Tiwha, son of Luanlilo.", the blackfish bull rumbled.

"What do you want?!", the porpoise shouted.

"What I want….", Tiwha said, as he rushed the smaller cetacean, pinning him to the seabed. "…is the kingdom."

 _Crack!_

The porpoise gasped as Tiwha thrust the tip of his club down into his throat, crushing it, along with his spine.

"I see you're already quenching your bloodlust, Tiwha.", a feminine voice said from above.

"Inaina.", Tiwha rumbled, his mouth stretching into a toothy smile.

"You should exercise more caution.", Inaina said as she adjusted the whalebone patu thrust into her sash. "Our spies suggest that this king, Kini, has a substantial army."

"What do you suggest?", Tiwha asked.

"That we be patient until we learn more about our opponent.", the cow said as she descended, hovering next to Tiwha.

"Alright my love.", Tiwha said, caressing Inaina's fluke. "We'll wait."


	5. Chapter 5

"So where are we going?", Makana asked as she swam behind Nai'a.

"The Whale Graveyards.", Nai'a said. "I read about it on a scroll from Hoalona's library."

"I suppose our parents don't know about this.", Makana mused, rubbing her newly tattooed snout.

"Nope.", the prince said, grinning mischievously. He sent a wave of sonar through the water as the currents began picking up sand from the seabed, clouding the water.

"Did you hear that?", Makana asked as she heard what sounded to her like a dolphin's sonar.

"What's a matter?", Nai'a asked teasingly. "Scared?"

"It could be dangerous.", Makana said nervously.

"Danger?", Nai'a scoffed. "I live on the wild side, I laugh in the face of danger! Ha ha ha!"

"Okay but we need to find this 'Whale Graveyard' first.", Makana replied. "After we get air.", she added.

"Race you!", Nai'a laughed as he darted towards the surface.

"Hey wait up!", Makana shouted as she followed her friend.

Nai'a whooped happily as he breached the water, twisting and spinning through the air before splashing back down into the sea.

Makana laughed as she executed her own leap, landing next to the prince as she finished.

"Ha ha ha!", the two laughed in unison as they chased one another close to the surface.

Makana dove down towards the seabed with Nai'a hot on her fluke.

"Gotcha!", Nai'a laughed as he suddenly surged forwards and tackled Makana.

The two tumbled along the seabed, rolling dangerously close the nearby canyon's drop-off.

"Pinned yah!", Makana laughed as she ended up on top of her friend.

"Let me go!", Nai'a exclaimed as Makana got off him.

The prince promptly pounced on her again, rolling them right up to the lip of the canyon.

"Pinned yah again.", Makana said smugly as she sat on top of Nai'a.

Tiwha pressed his large body underneath the lip of the canyon as he heard a commotion above him.

Inaina joined him, drawing her patu from her sash. "If they spot us we may need to kill them so as to not alert the rest of their pod to our presence."

Tiwha nodded, drawing his mere.

"So what do you think is down there?", Makana asked as they looked down into the dark and cloudy waters of the canyon.

"Dad said that this is where the sharks were banished to.", Nai'a said, sending a sound wave down into the depths.

"Do you see any down there?", Makana asked as she crouched down along the edge.

"Not right now.", the young bull calf said. "Let's get a closer look."

 _If they see us, it could prove troublesome,_ Tiwha thought as his sonar picked up a small fluke hanging in front of him.

"Something's got me!", Nai'a shouted as his fluke was jerked downwards, hard.

Tiwha, holding the little calf in place by his tail, swung his heavy mere over his head.

 _Crack!_

Nai'a's body went stiff with sheer agony as he felt his hips and the base of his tail shatter, sheer adrenaline being the only thing allowing him to maintain his desperate grasp on the cliff edge.

Suddenly, the rock the prince held ahold shifted from the sands, teetering over the precipice of the cliff.

Tiwha hard on his quarry's fluke again, determined to finish his prey.

The rock tipped over the edge, gravity pulling it downwards.

 _Snap!_

With a gruesome sound, Nai'a's body went down towards the depths of the canyon with the rock, whilst his tail stayed firmly in the grasp of the blackfish.

"NNNNOOOOOOO!", Makana cried in horror as her dearest of friends, trailing a cloud of red, sank down to his death.


	6. Chapter 6

"Where did you say it happened again?", King Kini asked, trying his best to keep his voice from sounding too frantic.

"O-over at the Whale Graveyard.", Makana blubbered out, clearing in shock from what she had witnessed.

"You with me!", Kini ordered a pod of ten dolphins floating nearby.

"Yes sire!", their said in unison, saluting with their weapons.

 _Please O Great Kings of the Past,_ Kini thought. _Let my son be okay._

"I'm going too!", Lima-loa declared, swimming up next to her husband.

"Alright.", Kini said. "Let's go."

The party swam swiftly towards the are that Makana had told them of, the urgency in their movements apparent.

"You five stay up above the bones, call out if you see anything.", Kini ordered. "The rest of you follow me into bones."

The dolphins followed Kini as he dove towards the bones lining the edge of the canyon.

"Nai'a!", Lima-loa called out as she swam next to her husband.

Meanwhile, the blackfish pod watched from their position, hidden just below the lip of the canyon.

"Hmmm.", Inaina mused. "That spinner pup may have been someone important."

"Judging by these greenstone bracelets, that would seem likely.", an older male said as he looked over Nai'a's severed tail.

"We may not want to reveal ourselves to our enemy just yet.", Tiwha said, taking the tail from his podmate. "Hand me your cord."

"Here.", Inaina said as she fished a cord from her pouch.

"Hopefully they'll leave when they find their prince here.", Tiwha said as he wrapped the cord around the fluke and began whirling it over his head. "Warn me if you see any of them watching."

"Nai'a!", Makana called out as she swam with the rest of the search party. "Where are you?"

She whipped her head about, searching for her friend.

"Ah there you are.", she sighed as she saw her friends embellished fluke resting atop a rock next to the canyon edge. "Hey I found him!"

She swam towards her friend. "We were so worried.", she said as she reached out her hand to pull her friend towards her.

She gasped in silent horror as Nai'a severed tail fell into her arms, blood pluming around her.

Kini swam towards the sound of a screaming calf, mere drawn.

"Oh my son.", he said, voice trembling as he sank to his knees next to his son's remains as his queen sobbed next to him.


	7. Chapter 7

"This day the kingdom mourns.", King Kini said as he stood before his assembled pod.

Queen Lima-loa stifled a sob as her friend La'akea held her shoulder.

"Don't worry.", La'akea said as her daughter hugged her leg. "He's with the Great Kings of the Past now."

"I still miss him.", Makana said softly, her tears mixing with the sea around her as she stared at Nai'a's wrapped tail as it lay in an open cairn.

"We now commit the body of our prince to the ground.", Kini said as Hoalona placed a small greenstone amulet atop his son's tail, before four other dolphins began placing stones over the remains.

"Ne'ena.", the king said, turning to face his majordomo.

"Yes sire.", the iguana replied, head bowed.

"We can not let this go unpunished.", Kini said.

"What would you have me do sire?"

Kini's face contorted in rage, his hand clenching around the shark's teeth they'd pulled from his son's remains. "Send the eels.", he commanded.

"Uhh.", Nai'a moaned as he slowly regained consciousness.

He opened his eyes, staring into the darkness. He tried to stand up, only to find his legs unresponsive.

"Oh kings….", he breathed in horror as he looked over his shoulder at the bloody stump where his tail used to be.

 _Snap._

The prince sharply turned his attention from his ruin limb towards the direction the noise came from.

"H-hello?", he asked fearfully, sending a wave of sonar into the surrounding gloom.

 _What was that?!,_ he thought in alarm as he thought his sonar picked up something ahead.

 _What's this?,_ Hehena asked himself as he picked up an electrical field. _Hmm, blood.,_ he added, sniffing the water.

"H-hello?", a voice called from the gloom ahead of him.

 _Someone's there,_ Hehena thought as he drew his kotiate from his hide belt.

"Is someone there?", the voice called out again.

 _Hmm,_ Hehena thought. _Spinner dolphin._

"Hello?", the voice called again as Hehena approached a bend in the canyon.

Hehena held his club at the ready as he cautiously swam around the bend.

Nai'a eyes widened in horror as a shark swam into view. _Oh no,_ he thought, quaking in fear as he began to crawl away. _Got to get away._

He attempted to stand, to try run or swim off the seafloor, but his lower half just dragged limply across the sand as he clawed at the canyon wall for support.

"Help!", the pup called out as the shark hovered over him, club raised.

Hehena hesitated as he looked down at the stricken dolphin.

"P-please don't hurt me.", the pup pleaded tearfully as he stared up at the smoothhound.

 _He's just a pup,_ Hehena thought as he looked the mammal over, noting his bleeding stump of a tail.

"Please don't hurt.", the pup repeated as he pushed himself away from the shark.

 _Poor guy,_ Hehena thought as he slide his kotiate back into his belt.

"Help.", the pup repeated weakly, suddenly aware of a familiar light-headedness. "Air, need air."

Hehena looked down at the pup, then to his bleeding stump, and then finally to the surface above. With a sigh, he removed the hide cloak draped over his shoulders and tore a strip from the ragged material.

"Thank you.", Nai'a gasped as the smoothhound bound his torn stump with his cloak.

Hehena nodded in acknowledgement as he laid out rest of the cloak. Placing the stricken calf in the middle of the cloth, he tied the ends together into a sling.

Looping the makeshift bag over his shoulder, Hehena swam for the surface.

Nai'a blew out his stale air as the shark held his head above the water and took a deep breath of air.

Hehena nodded as he sniffed the water, a look of worry crossing his face as he detected a familiar odor.

 _Moray,_ the shark thought, his hand moving towards his kotiate as he notice a few of the slimy beasts slithering up from the sea floor towards them. _Time to go home._

 _Eels,_ Nai'a thought. _Maybe dad sent them?_

Hehena began diving towards the canyon, followed by the eels.

"Wait…", Nai'a began weakly as the smoothhound took him deeper.

 _Just a bit deeper now,_ Hehena thought as he passed the edge of the canyon.

"Rraah!", the eels screeched as they began chasing the shark down towards the canyon bottom.

 _Alright stay calm,_ Hehena thought to himself as he fled down the canyon. _The rest of the shoal isn't too much further._

"Back you animals!", Ho'oh barked as he shoved an eel away with his hydrokinesis.

Another eel lunged at Kamipulu, only to be engulfed by the sand devil's gaping jaws.

"Puh!", Kamipulu spat as he ejected the toxic creature from his maw. "Why is Kini having his monsters attack us now?"

"Who knows.", Ho'oh replied as he sent an eel slamming into the wall with a sickening crunch.

"Away pups.", a tope said as he put a arrow into a charging eel. "Go hide with the rest of the young."

"We can handle ourselves.", Ho'oh argued.

"Do as he says you troublesome little brats.", Hae ordered from above as she swatted an eel away with her mere.

"Okay.", Ho'oh said as he settled on Kamipulu's shoulder, before the two retreated deeper into the canyon.

"Hae!", Kolope'e shouted as he descended towards her, slashing an eel's throat with his lei o mano as he did so.

"What?", the leopard shark replied as she split an eel's skull.

"Where's Hehena?", the winghead asked.

"I don't know!", Hae replied. "I'm not your brother's keeper."

Nai'a gasped as an eel tore him from the shark's back, throwing him to the sea bed.

The moray, excited by the smell of blood coming from Nai'a's tail stump, launched itself at the stricken dolphin.

"Help!", Nai'a screamed as he tossed the blood-stained hide sling at the eel.

"Rrrh!", the brightly-color eel snarled as mauled the bloody cloth.

Hehena shoved the eel attacking him away and lunged towards Nai'a's antagonist, felling him with blow to the back of the head.

"Help!", Nai'a shouted again as the brightly-colored eel tackled Hehena, wrapping him in his coils.

The two collapsed on the seabed, struggling furiously.

 _Not good,_ Hehena thought as his weapon hand was pinned underneath the eel's coils, while his other hand was occupied holding the fish's snapping jaws back.

 _I've got to help,_ Nai'a thought as he watched his savior struggle with the vicious moray.

Scrambling to the combatants, the dolphin sank his teeth into the eel's coils.

"Rargh!", the eel hissed in pain as tiny little dolphin teeth penetrated his hide.

Nai'a kept biting and tearing with his little teeth as the eel hissed and snapped at his two antagonist.

 _Clunk!_

The eel's body went limp, sinking to the floor.

"Hehena, you okay?", Hae asked as she helped the smoothhound to his feet.

The smoothhound nodded vigorously before nuzzling the leopard shark.

"Good.", Hae said, before turning towards Nai'a. "Now explain this!"


	8. Chapter 8

Nai'a sat compliantly on a flat stone as an old woebegone poked and prodded his body, whilst outside the cave his savior was in a huddled conference with two other sharks.

"Feel anything?", the woebegone asked as she pressed her finger into Nai'a's thigh muscle.

"N-no.", he said.

"Here?", she asked again, poking his belly.

"Yes.", Nai'a answered as he craned his head to better listen in on the other shark's conversation.

"So you found him at the bottom of the canyon to the east?", the leopard shark asked the starry smoothhound.

Hehena nodded.

"And what is it that landed our mammalian guest in his current predicament?", Hae asked.

Hehena shrugged.

"Why don't we just ask him?", Kolope'e asked.

"We'll do that.", Hae replied. "Once Gali finishes with him."

Gali sighed as she sniffed Nai'a's wound. She retrieved a roll of bandages from a nearby shelf that had been hollowed out from the cave wall and began wrapping the calf's wound.

"Now you stay here young one while I go speak to Hae.", the elderly woebegone said as she secured the bandage about Nai'a's waist.

Nai'a nodded as Gali swam towards the other sharks at the cave entrance.

"Hae?", Gali asked softly. "May I speak with you?"

"Yes.", Hae replied as she followed the woebegone a short distance from the cave.

"In addition to the loss of his tail.", Gali began. "He seems to have a shattered hip and severed spine."

The woebegone paused, taking a deep breath as she adjusted the trinkets of stone and bone adorning her body. "And, judging from the smell of the wound, infection has set in."

"So…he's dying?", Hae asked.

"Yes.", Gali replied, pulling a scroll from beneath her charms and necklaces. "However…"

The woebegone unfurled the parchment, showing Hae the arcane writing inscribed on it.

"Gali, you should know by now that I've no idea what any of these mystical scribbles mean.", Hae said in annoyance.

"Though I've never actual done this before, it should solve our little guest's troubles.", Gali stated. "And if it doesn't work, we can always eat him."

"I suppose you're right.", Hae said as Gali stowed the scroll back under her jewelry.

"Now if you young ones could aid in sourcing the materials for your honored eldest's experiment…", the woebegone said as she pulled out another scroll.

"I suppose we'll get swimming before anyone starts poking around and I have to start answering questions about why the enemy is here.", Hae said, taking the scroll.

"There he goes!", Ho'oh shouted as he hung onto Kamipulu's shoulder whilst the sand devil lunged at a rock crab that had found its why down to the bottom of the canyon.

The crustacean narrowly avoided the shark's gaping jaws as it began scurrying back up the wall.

 _Crunch!_

"Nice catch!", Ho'oh congratulated as Kamipulu tore off a few of the crab's limbs, handing them to the dogfish before swallowing the rest of the catch whole.

Suddenly, the two pups senses detected something larger that them approaching the edge of the canyon, sending them burrowing into the sand.

Inaina snarled as she batted the porpoise's blow aside with her armguard, then seized the smaller mammal by his throat.

 _Crack!_

The blackfish split the porpoise's skull open, then shoved his corpse into the path of a charging commerson's dolphin.

"Death to the invader!", the dolphin shouted, whipping his pikoi at the larger mammal.

"Ha!", Inaina laughed as she let the cord wrap around her armguard, then pulled sharply.

With a gasp, the dolphin was pulled within range, where Inaina's patu made short work of him.

"I wonder what a pygmy killer whale is doing in the shallows.", Kamipulu wondered aloud as they watched the blackfish bind the corpses' flukes together, then slung them over her shoulder in the manner of a hunter. "Time to head back?"

"Yep.", Ho'oh affirmed.

Meanwhile, in a side canyon to the east, three sharks were gathering things.

"Not that I'm opposed to helping the occasional injured traveler…", Kolope'e began as he scrapped some mold from the wall, sticking the scrapings into a bag. "But I fail to see why we should help out one who is our long-time enemy."

Hehena made no respond as he stuck some coral into his bag, before checking the parchment in his hand.

"What's next?", Hae asked, swimming down from the canyon lip, clutching a handful of kelp.

"I mean I know Wairangi commands us to be charitable and to help the weary traveler, but still…", Kolope'e said. "And why, might I add, are we the ones doing the gathering?"

"Because we don't want the others to know we are sheltering one of our long-time enemies.", Hae replied, filling a small leather flask from a pool of brine on the canyon floor. "And now all we need is some fire coral."

"Wonderful.", Kolope'e said as he watched Hehena swim up to the canyon rim to collected a cluster of fire coral conveniently growing above them.

 _Don't want to touch this,_ Hehena thought as he tapped the base of the coral with his club. _Oops,_ he thought as rock the coral rested broke off the cliff and sank down towards his two friends at the bottom of the canyon.

"I mean what's going to happen when Kini finds OWW!", the winghead shouted as the fire coral came into contact with his tail. "Oow oow oh eh ouch!"

"Heh heh heh!", Hae laughed as Kolope'e shook his tail in pain.


	9. Chapter 9

"Were these the only ones that saw you?", Tiwha asked as he swallowed a bloody chunk of porpoise.

"It would seem so.", Inaina replied, taking a bite of dolphin.

The pod of pygmy killer whales had ambushed a patrol of Kini's warrior's, killing all save for one.

"I demand to know what you want with me!", the spinner dolphin shouted furiously, blood flowing from her head wound as she struggled against the cords binding her.

"Quiet!", Inaina ordered harshly, striking her in the face with the partially eaten dolphin tail she held.

The spinner fell backwards onto the sea bed, a few teeth flying from her snout.

"So my friend, tell me your name.", Tiwha said, sitting down next to the dolphin.

"Kai."

"Well Kai, I'm curious about this king of yours.", Tiwha began as he cleaned the blood and gore from his mere. "Tell me about him."

"He's a long-snouted spinner.", Kai replied. "You're about his size."

"Am I now?", Tiwha chuckled. "That should make our inevitable confrontation all the more interesting."

"How big is your king's army?", Inaina asked.

Kai scoffed. "Bigger than your pathetic little pod."

 _Crack!_

"Gahh!", Kai screamed as Tiwha crushed her foot with his mere.

"We were expecting something a bit more specific.", Tiwha said coldly.

"We've three whole pods at our disposable.", Kai said, confidence showing in her voice despite her pain.

"Pods of what?", Tiwha asked.

"Spinners, porpoises, and short-snouts.", Kai replied confidently.

"Ha ha ha!", Inaina laughed heartily as she struck Kai over the head with her meal again. "A bunch of little creatures, this should be easy!"

"How many?", Tiwha asked.

"Hundreds.", Kai shot back.

 _Crunch!_

"Ahhhh!", the spinner screamed as Tiwha stomped on her injured foot.

"Grrh.", the bull growled in surprise as Kai suddenly snapped her jaws around his ankle.

 _Crack!_

Inaina struck the dolphin on the back of her neck with her patu, severing her spine.

"Thank you Inaina.", Tiwha said, placing his arm around Inaina.

The cow trembled with excitement as her lord lightly embraced her.

"You're quite welcome, my lord.", Inaina replied as she reciprocated the bull's gesture, wrapping her arms around him.

Hae, Kolope'e, and Hehena swam into Gali's cave.

"Here's what you asked for.", Hae said as the trio handed the old shaman their bags. "Did anyone see him?"

"No.", Gali answered.

"Are you sure?", Hae asked again.

"Yes young one.", the woebegone said, patting Hae on the head.

"It is not appropriate to pat the leader on the head.", Hae huffed, pushing the elder's hand away. "Now do whatever it is you're going to do with him."

"Pups these days.", Gali groaned as she took a basin made from a sea turtle's shell from its shelf.

Nai'a watched the proceedings from a woven mat along the cave wall.

"Let's see…", Gali began as she uncorked a bottle. "Eye of orca, skin of a marine toad, blood of manatee…"

 _Gross,_ Nai'a thought as he watched the woebegone add a pinch of parrotfish dung to the mix.

"Two dolphin teeth, stingray venom, six seal hairs, one live sea anemone…", Gali continued as she hunched over the basin.

"What exactly is this supposed to do?", Hae asked.

"To return our little guest to a sound body.", Gali answered, dropping a sea gull's tongue into the mix.

"I'm curious to see just how this foul smelling concoction is going to do that.", Hae said as Gali added some coconut shavings to mixture.

"You'll see.", the old shaman replied as she added the ingredients the younger sharks had brought her. "And now a little of me…", she said, drawing a greenstone knife and cutting her hand, letting a few drops of her blood mix with the concoction. "…and a little of you."

"Ouch!", Nai'a yelped as Gali suddenly pulled his hand over the basin and slashed his hand, sending some of his blood sinking into the mixture. "Woah.", the little dolphin said in amazement as the mixture began to swirl of its own accord.

"Is that suppose to happen?", Hae asked as the mixture began rapidly changing colors, alternating between a dark grey and sickly green.

"Yes.", Gali replied, licking the blood from her blade. "Now hand me our guest."

Nai'a shook nervously as Hehena picked him up and handed him to the shaman.

"What it exactly is this going to do to me?", the dolphin asked.

"In theory in should provide you with a new, uncrippled form.", Gali answered. "Though I must admit, I've never actually done this specific trick before."

With that, she dropped Nai'a into the swirling mixture.

Nai'a's eyes widened as pain racked his stricken body, the air forced from his lungs.

His mouth contorted into a silent scream as his bones cracked, his flesh warping as it absorbed the strange fluids.

The world began to spin about him as he thrashed about, sending him tumbling to the cave floor.

His heart pounded in his chest and his lungs threated to collapse from lack of air.

His vision darkened as Gali stared down at him, an interested look in her eye.

And then the dolphin passed from the waking world.


	10. Chapter 10

"Uhh…", Nai'a moaned as he slowly came to.

"You didn't say you were going to do that.", he heard a voice say.

"I said I'd never done this before.", another voice said. "How was I to know exactly what would happen."

 _What happened?,_ Nai'a thought groggily as he stood up. _I can feel my legs again!_

"I said it would give him a sound body.", the voice said, which Nai'a recognized as belonging to the woebegone. "And it did."

Nai'a looked down at his hand, noting it's color was somewhat lighter than before.

"Huh?", he whispered, feeling something dragging through the water behind him. "My tail.", he gasped as he saw a finned tail waving through the water.

"Why does it look like that?", he wondered aloud as he ran his hand along the muscular appendage. "Dolphins don't have vertical tail fins, just fish and…"

"What are we suppose to do with him now?", Hae asked Gali as they hovered in front of the shaman's cave.

"We'll just…", Gali began before she was cut off by a loud shriek. "It would seem our guest is awake."

The woebegone swan into her cave, followed by Hae.

"Wh-what happened?", Nai'a asked, rising to his feet shakily.

"Hello young one.", Gali said. "Hae said that Hehena over there found you in the canyon less your tail."

"Am I a…", Nai'a began to ask as he looked down at his new body.

"A shark?", Gali finished. "Yes, a short finned mako to be precise."

"Wh-why?", Nai'a asked confused.

"Because you previous body was damaged beyond repair.", Gali answered. "And I was curious to see if this would actually work."

Nai'a began hyperventilating. _This can't be happening, this can't be happening, this is impossible,_ he thought as he began to swim away.

"Wait!", Hae called out as Nai'a rapidly accelerated away, heading towards the canyon rim.

"Get back here you louse-bitten little brat!", Kolope'e shouted angrily as the three sharks chased after the former dolphin.

 _I think home is that way,_ Nai'a thought as he turned in what he hoped was the direction of home.

"Where does he think he's going?", Hae growled as saw the former dolphin gaining more distance from them.

 _Probably back home,_ Hehena thought as they chased after Nai'a. _I doubt he'd receive a warm welcome as he is now._

Nai'a sped upwards, breaching the surface in a spinning leap as he'd done countless times before.

"Come back here now!", Kolope'e shouted as Nai'a dove back down towards the seabed, swimming further and further from the canyon. "What are we going to do if we don't catch him?"

 _Dolphins!,_ Nai'a thought with excitement as he saw a group of his father's warriors breathing near the surface. "Hey!", he called out.

A couple of spinners noticed him and began swimming towards the shark pup.

"Down here!", Nai'a called out again, waving his arms at the approaching dolphins.

"Sharks!", the spinner at the lead of the patrol shouted as he gestured at the approaching pup.

"I'm down here!", Nai'a called out again as the spinner began whirling his pikoi over his head.

"Get them!", the spinner ordered as he whipped his weapon towards Nai'a.

"Woah!", Nai'a exclaimed as he swam upwards swiftly, the weapon's stone head shooting just past his tailfin.

The dolphin pulled his weapon back and threw it a second time.

"Wait!", Nai'a shouted as the cord wrapped around his tail and the dolphin began pulling him closer.

"Move and you're dead.", the spinner said coldly as he jerked the shark into a chokehold and held his dagger to his throat.

 _Damn pup,_ Kolope'e thought in annoyance as he drew his lei o mano.

"Surrender now or die!", the dolphin ordered as he gave Nai'a a shallow cut under his chin.

"Just calm down…", Hae said, her hand reaching for her mere.

The dolphin sent his verse sounding through the water, summoning more cetaceans.

 _Not good,_ Hehena thought as he grew his kotiate.

"No need to do anything violent, just hand us the pup and we'll leave.", Hae said, trying to sound diplomatic.

"You four are trespassing and will pay the penalty!", the dolphin shouted as a few porpoises and a couple of dolphins appeared behind him.

"Wa-wait…", Nai'a began, his voice trembling.

 _Thud!_

Stars exploded into Nai'a's vision as the dolphin hit him in the temple with the pommel of his dagger.

"Last warning.", the dolphin said menacingly. "Surrender or he dies."


	11. Chapter 11

Well this is just great, Hae thought as the dolphins led her and her friends away from the crevice.

"Move it!", a spinner shouted, striking Hae across her tail with a whalebone stick.

Hae growled as she flexed her bound wrists and ankles.

"I said move!", the spinner shouted again, as Hae flicked her tail and swam behind another spinner.

This can't be happening, Nai'a thought as a dolphin kicked him forwards.

"Should we not kill this one?", a harbor porpoise asked, gesturing towards Nai'a with his patu. "He'll get big enough to eat us."

"We'll ask Kahu when we reach the prison.", the leader replied.

Nai'a's heart began beating faster.

Got to get away, he thought frantically. But how?

He began to strike the bindings around his feet with his tail, only for the harbor porpoise to cuff him on the head.

"Stop that.", the porpoise warned, poking him in the chest with his patu.

"Mmmffh.", Nai'a protested as the porpoise grabbed him by his tail and dragged him along.

The mako thrashed about, trying to free himself.

"Stop thrashing or I'll beat you into unconsciousness.", the porpoise threatened.

Nai'a stilled himself as he saw the porpoise raise his club.

"Or perhaps I should kill you now?", the porpoise said. "What say you, Kapena?"

"Hmmm.", the old bull spinner replied, looking down at Nai'a in a thoughtful manner. "I suppose you're right Mahi, but make it quick."

Nai'a's eyes widened in terror as the elder sharks made muffled grunts of outrage.

"Yes sir.", Mahi said, grinning wickedly as he rose his patu over his head.

Snap!

"Huh?", Mahi said in surprise as Nai'a snapped the cords around his feet and propelled himself towards the top of the canyon.

"You seem to have let him escape.", Kapena said dryly.

"A-apologize sir.", Mahi stammered as he saw the mako fleeing towards the canyon.

"Take Ahi and deal with this.", Kapena ordered.

"Yes sir!", Mahi and Ahi said, saluting before chasing after the escapee.

"Now…", Kapena said, turning to the rest of his warriors. "Let's get these three to the fort."

"I tell ya old buddy, we should try for birds more often.", Ho'oh said, stuffing another chunk of gull flesh into his mouth.

"I don't know Ho'oh.", Kamipulu replied as he swallowed the remainder of the carcass. "It's quite risky for us to be swimming around at the surface."

"Come back here you spineless sea scum!", a voice shouted from over the canyon.

Ho'oh and Kamipulu dove into the sand, burying themselves.

"What's going on?", Ho'oh asked as he hid under the larger shark.

"There's two harbor porpoises chasing a shark down towards us.", the sand devil answered.

"Hmm…", Ho'oh said as he peered out from under friend. "Looks like a mako pup, around our age."

"Down.", Kamipulu said, flattening himself as the mako skimmed over him.

The pursuing porpoise landed on top of sand devil and throw his pikoi at the fleeing mako.

You've got to be joking, Kamipulu thought as the blubbery creature stood atop him. I am not having this!

"Got him!", Ahi said as his weapon wrapped around Nai'a's tail. "Argh!", he screamed as something burst from the sand under him and swallowed his tail.

"Ahi!", Mahi shouted as his brother was knocked to the sea bed, blood and sand clouding the water.

Ho'oh chuckled at the carnage above him as he concentrated his magic into the silt-filled waters around him.

"Agh!", Mahi barked as his face was pummeled by a concentrated blast of water and sand.

"Time to go.", Ho'oh said.

Kamipulu let go of Ahi's tail and darted down a side crevice.

I'm free, Nai'a thought happily as Ahi let go of his pikoi.

"Cursed sharks!", Mahi swore as he cleaned the sand from his eyes.

"There they go!", Ahi shouted as he drew his dagger, pointing towards a narrow crack in the wall.

This going to be a tight fit, Nai'a thought as he dove into the narrow crevice branching of from the canyon, his stout body just barely fitting through the opening.

"Curses!", Mahi shouted as the mako disappeared.

"I'm safe.", Nai'a gasped as he collapsed onto the seabed.

"Urge.", a voice below him groaned.

Nai'a gulped. "H-hello?", he asked shakily.

"Get off!", another voice shouted from underneath him.

Nai'a darted backwards into the crevice wall as something rose from the sand in front of him.

"Ahh!", the creature shouted in alarm.

Nai'a shrieked in fear as he saw the strange being's cavernous maw open, the cacophony of the cries of alarm echoing throughout the crevice.

"Ahh it's a mako!", a little shark shouted as it emerged from the sand next to the sand devil. "Swim Kamipulu!"

"There you are vermin!", a voice shouted from above.

Nai'a looked up to see Ahi darting down into the crevice.

"Help!", the mako shouted as swam back into another, narrower side crevice.

"Curses!", Ahi shouted as he got stuck between the rocks above Nai'a, his arm still thrusting towards his target.

Kamipulu ducked down and snatched a large rock from the sea bed.

Crack!

"Arrgghh!", Ahi screamed as Kamipulu slammed the rock into his elbow, bending it inwards with a sickening crunch.

Kamipulu dropped the rock in favor of the porpoise's dagger and thrust it into the mammal's neck.

Ahi's body went slack as the blade pierced his spinal cord, breaking in the process.

Turning from the porpoise's corpse, Kamipulu stared at the mako, mouth agape in a threat display.

Shaking in fear, Nai'a huddled against the wall.

"Who are you?", the sand devil demanded, brandishing his weapons.

"I'm..", Nai'a began, his voice quivering, before he noted the size difference between him and the smaller sand devil. "… Raiona.", he lied, giving the name of some mythical monster said inhabit the inhospitable world beyond the waves.

"Well Raiona, my name is Ho'ohanohano.", the little viper dogfish replied. "Ho'oh for short."

"And I'm Kamipulu.", the sand devil said.

"Say what's a mako doing in such shallow waters.", Ho'oh asked, looking the stout-bodied fish over.

"I…can't go back home.", the former dolphin said, his thoughts going back to his parents and Makana.

"Ah you're an outcast.", Ho'oh said. "That's great, so are we!"

"Have you seen a starry smoothhound, a leopard shark, and a winghead?", Raiona asked, thinking about the sharks that had saved him.

"Hmm…that sounds like Hae, Kolope'e, and Helena.", Ho'oh mused.

"Yeah those were their names.", Raiona said. "They…we were captured by the king's guards."

"Where'd they take them?", Ho'oh asked.

"Out of the canyon.", Raiona answered. "What should we do?"

"Well first we should cut you free.", Kamipulu said, slashing the cords that bound the mako.

"Thanks.", Raiona said, rubbing his wrists.

"Now what were you saying about our illustrious leadership?", Ho'oh asked as Kamipulu handed the fallen porpoise's pekoi to the mako.

"You mean Hae, Hehena, and…", Raiona said, struggling to remember the winghead's name.

"Kolope'e?", Ho'oh suggested.

"Yes them.", Raiona replied. "They were taking us away from the canyon."

"I've an idea where they would have been taken if they weren't escorted back to the canyon.", the viper dogfish replied.


	12. Chapter 12

"Well this is a fine mess we find ourselves in.", Kolope'e grumbled as he stared at the wall of the cave he and his friends had been imprisoned in.

"Quiet.", Hae whispered harshly as she tested her bonds.

"Well what's the plan to get out of here?", the winghead asked.

"I don't know.", the leopard shark replied. "They might just question us, then return us to our prison."

"Quiet in there!", a porpoise ordered from behind the grate of bones that sealed them in the cave.

"Well nothing can right now but wait.", Hae said as sat down on the sandy floor of the cave.

"What do you see?", the newly christened Raiona asked from below the lip of the canyon, nervously fiddling with his pikoi.

"Quiet.", Kamipulu whispered from where he'd buried himself in the sand a short distance from the canyon.

"Hmm.", Ho'oh mused. "Looks like there's three harbor porpoises guarding the entrance to the cave."

"What should we do?", Raiona asked.

"Well you're undoubtedly the swiftest of us.", Ho'oh said. "So you should distract the guards at the entrance, get them to chase you."

"Me?", the former dolphin asked.

"Of course you, you're a mako!", Ho'oh quietly exclaimed.

"What if they catch me?", Raiona asked.

"If it looks like you can't get away, make for the canyon floor.", Ho'oh said. "Me and Kamipulu have evaded dozens of patrols that way."

"And then what will you do?", Raiona asked.

"Enter the cave, remove the barrier, and liberate our 'great and powerful leaders' from their imprisonment.", Ho'oh chuckled.

"How would I distract the guards?", Raiona questioned.

"Make a joke about their mothers, call them blobs of blubber, anything.", Ho'oh replied. "Just get them away from the cave entrance."

"What if I get caught?", Raiona asked.

"Don't.", Ho'oh responded.

"What will you do once you free everyone?", the mako asked.

"We'll all just swim for the canyon.", Ho'oh answered. "If that's all your questions, let's get on with it."

Raiona gulped and followed the two smaller sharks away from the canyon.

Back in the cave, Hehena watched Kolope'e struggle against his bonds. I wonder what's happening with the former dolphin pup?, he wondered.

"What were you doing outside of the canyon?", a spinner asked Hae as two porpoises forced her to her knees.

"Chasing after the mako pup.", Hae answered.

"Are you sure you weren't poaching, vermin?", the spinner retorted, pointing her whalebone stick at her.

"Ya got me.", Hae said. "I was chowing down on an orca before you caught me."

"I am not amused.", the spinner growled, rapping the shark on the head.

"Sir, the mako pup has been spotted a short distance from here.", a black dolphin said as he swam up behind the spinner.

"Well then take half our number and retrieve the escapee.", the spinner ordered.

"Yes sir!", the black dolphin said, saluting with his patu.

"Okay I think I've got their attention.", Raiona called down to Ho'oh and Kamipulu.

"Good.", Kamipulu said as he buried himself in the sand. "Just keep them away from us as long as you can."

"I'll try.", Raiona said, his heart beating faster as he watched the approaching party of warriors getting closer.

"There he is!", a spinner shouted as the mako darted up towards the surface.

"That's it.", Ho'oh said as he watched the mako twist and turn through the water, deftly avoiding his pursuers. "Let's go."

The two slowly crawled away from the canyon, Kamipulu's body perfectly camouflaged against the seabed.

"Two guards.", Kamipulu said, eyeing the harbor porpoises guarding the entrance to the cave.

"What say I simply blind them and then you attack?", Ho'oh asked.

"Sounds good to me, Ho'oh.", the sand devil replied.

The viper dogfish grinned, baring his vicious-looking teeth as he conjured an aura of darkness about him, then sent it streaming towards the guards.

The porpoises gasped in alarm as the world in front of their eyes went dark, their weapons thrashing about as the sent their sonar sounding about them.

Kamipulu burst from the sand, slashing one of the porpoise's throats as he swam past him.

"What's goi-", the surviving porpoise asked before the sand devil cut his throat from behind.

Leaving the dying mammals, the sharks entered the cave.

"Hello there.", Ho'oh said, looking down at the grate of bones set in the floor. "Got into some trouble I see."

"What are you two doing here!?", Hae asked, shocked at the pups appearance.

"Saving your tails.", Ho'oh replied as Kamipulu cut the cords that held the grate together.

"Hehena asks if you've seen a mako pup about.", Kolope'e said after the smoothhound nudged him.

"Oh ya mean Raiona?", Ho'oh answered. "He's distracting the guards while we rescue you."

"What?!", Hae responded.

"Retreat to the canyon.", Ho'oh said as he and and Kamipulu swam out of the cave.

"What are these pups thinking?", the leopard shark wondered aloud as they swam over the dead porpoise, the water about him cloudy with blood.

Raiona dodged away from a charging commerson's dolphin as he swam towards the sea bed.

"Hold still, you slippery little-", the dolphin growled as he thrust a shark tooth-lined swordfish bill at the little mako.

Raiona threw the stone weight of his pikoi at the hulking mammal, only for the dolphin to grab ahold of it.

"Gotcha!", the dolphin exclaimed, pulling the pup towards him as he raised his lei o mano.

Raiona sucked in a breath as the dolphin loomed over him, a wicked grin spreading across his features.

"Huh?", he asked as something grabbed him by the wrist.

"I believe this is mine.", Kolope'e said as he sunk his teeth in the dolphin's hand.

"Aragh", the dolphin screamed, letting go of the weapon.

The winghead took the weapon and stabbed the point deep into the dolphin's back.

The dolphin crumbled to the seabed as Kolope'e took a mere and a kotiate from his belt.

"Here.", he said, tossing his friends their weapons.

"Thank you.", Hae said, wrapping the weapon's cord around her wrist. "Now let's get back in the canyon."


	13. Chapter 13

The assorted pod of dolphins and porpoises huddled together nervously, their weapon pointed out at the pod of blackfish that circled them menacingly.

"Who are you, what do you want!?", the leader of the mixed pod demanded. "I'm the cousin of the queen of the podlands."

"I am Tiwha.", a large bull rumbled, his milky eyes appearing to settle the spinner that had spoken. "What's your name?"

"I am Mau Loa.", the spinner said, pointing his wooden dagger at the larger mammal.

"Well Mau Loa, it would seem you and your comrades are in a bit of trouble.", Tiwha chuckled.

They must outnumber us by at least two to one, Mau Loa thought, glancing worriedly at his own group of but ten warriors.

Tiwha gestured at the group with his mere, signaling two of his warriors to attack.

Mau Loa and the others stared on in horror as two blackfish suddenly darted through the group, each seizing a harbor porpoise.

"If this is the best your waters have to offer, I'm amazed you haven't been conquered yet.", Tiwha mused as his pod tore the porpoises apart, feasting on their flesh.

Mau Loa shudder as he thought about the likely outcome of a battle between the two sides.

"Ha ha, look at the little spinner quack in fear of us.", Inaina chuckled.

"I do not fear you savage!", Mau Loa shouted, pointing his dagger at Inaina.

"Is that a challenge, minnow?", Inaina laughed.

"That it is!", Mau Loa answered.

Inaina laughed as she hurled herself at Mau Loa, swinging her patu.

Mau Loa ducked under the strike, thrusting upwards at Inaina's belly.

The blackfish blocked with her arm guard and kneed Mau Loa in the groin.

The dolphin groaned as Inaina shoved him away, swinging her fluke up at his chin.

"Ack!", Mau Loa exclaimed as his opponent's tail connected, snapping his head back.

Inaina let him recover, grinning evilly at him.

Mau Loa thrust at her while blocking a blow to his shoulder.

Inaina ducked the thrust, grabbing Mau Loa's weapon arm and pulling him close.

"Raagh!", the dolphin screamed as his foe sunk her teeth into his face, tearing off a chunk.

The blackfish embraced her enemy, and carried him down towards the seabed.

"Oof!", Mau Loa grunted as Inaina pinned him to the sand and grabbed his arm.

Crack!

Mau Loa screamed as the joints in his arm were twisted out of alignment.

Taking her opponent's dagger from his grasp, she thrust it deep into his neck, severing his spinal cord.

Kini's warriors shuddered at the sound of the blackfish's victorious laughter, horrified at the death of their leader.

Tiwha's verse sounded triumphantly as the rest of the blackfish rushed the terrified dolphins, roaring with bloodlust.

After a few minutes of furious combat, the water about them a crimson hue, the blackfish emerged victorious.

"Back to deeper water.", Tiwha said, throwing a dolphin's corpse over his shoulder. "We'll return another day."


	14. Chapter 14

"Okay, now that we are back in the canyon, we need to discuss your actions pups.", Hae began as the six sharks settled on the the seabed.

"You're quite welcome for us saving your tails.", Ho'oh chuckled as he settled on Kamipulu's shoulder.

Hae gave an exasperated sigh, holding her head in her hands.

"Umm..what's going to happen to me?", Raiona asked, wringing his hands nervously.

"Hey you could stick with us!", Ho'oh said excitedly as he swam off of his companion's shoulder.

"Ha!", Hae laughed at the dogfish's suggestion.

"What if I go back to my father and explain what happened?", Raiona suggested.

"Even if you made it past the guard, I have my doubts that the king would believe you.", Hae answered.

I may never see mom or dad again, the former dolphin thought glumly. Or Makana.

"I would suggest you stay with us.", Hae said. "At least for the time being."

Seeing no alternative at the present, Raiona nodded.

"Alright, let's get back to the caves.", Hae said. "We'll discuss things further there."

"So you are called Peke?", Tiwha asked as he expelled stale air from his blowhole, staring up at the pelican circling in the sky overhead.

"Yes o wandering chieftain.", the pelican replied, looking down at the blackfish swimming at the surface.

"I've heard that you are a creature that tries to keep abreast of the important goings on of this kingdom.", Tiwha said.

Peke chuckled. "I've been known to hear things from time to time."

"I don't suppose you'd care to help a newcomer get acclimated to the current political and socio-economic situations of this little patch of shallows?", Tiwha asked.

"Hmmm…what would you like to know?", Peke asked. "And what's in it for me?"

"Well, I suppose if I should find myself in a more advantageous place in the local hierarchy, I may have you to thank.", the bull said, fixing his blind eyes on the pelican.

"I think I may be able to help you.", Peke replied, a grin beginning to show on his beak.

"Sire we've been unable to locate the missing guards.", the spinner said, bowing before his king.

"That makes fifteen in the past few days.", Kini growled. "What is going on?"

"Perhaps the sharks are responsible?", the spinner suggested.

"Hmm…perhaps.", Kini mused. "Them or the river pods but they are on the opposite border and would have to swim the length of the kingdom to reach the site of the disappearances."

The king paused to think a moment.

"Post more patrols at our borders and be sure to watch the canyon closely.", Kini ordered.

"Yes sire!", his warrior said, holding his patu up in salute.

"Now go.", the king said, turning back towards his queen.

"What if it is the river pods?", Lima-loa asked, embracing her king. "They outnumber us by more than three to one."

"Even if they are the ones responsible they wouldn't dare launch an invasion.", Kini reassured her. "Can't stay down long enough."

The king and his queen retreated to their cave, sitting down on a pair of brightly dyed hide blankets.

"Seaweed wine?", Lima-loa asked as Kini set a wine skin and a pair of cups fashioned from the shells of baby sea turtles on a flat stone in front of them.

"Yes, a very good vintage.", Kini said, pouring the thick, briny substance into the shells, watching as the denser liquid settled into the vessels.

"I still keep waiting for him to come spinning through here begging us to see a little minnow or something he'd caught.", Lima-loa sighed sadly, taking a sip from her cup.

She leaned on Kini and the king put his arm around her.

"Roe?", the king asked Lima-loa, holding up a small bowl filled with fish eggs.

"Thank you my love.", Lima-loa said, taking pinch of the eggs. "Quite satisfying."

"They should be.", Kini said, grinning slightly. "You haven't eaten in two days."

"I suppose, even in these mournful times.", Lima-loa said. "One shouldn't go hungry."


	15. CH15 One year anniversary

"Who and what are these guys?", Inaina asked Tiwha as their pod looked over the small pod of six botos and twos franciscanas hovering mid water in front of them, their long wooden spears leveled at the blackfish.

"I don't know.", Tiwha replied as he sent sound waves flowing over the river dolphins as one of the botos swam out from his pod.

"Oh uh oh!", the boto began shouting as he danced a haka in front of the blackfish's pod, pointing his spear challengingly at the ocean dwellers.

"Who ever they are I doubt they are allies.", Tiwha said, drawing his mere as he saw forth to meet the challenger.

Without warning, the boto lunged at Tiwha, thrusting his wooden spear at the blackfish's throat.

Tiwha parried with his arm guard, grabbing the spear with his off hand in the same motion.

"Ha!", the blackfish laughed as he jerked his opponent in range, striking him on the head with his mere's pommel.

The boto staggered back, relinquishing his spear and drawing a long wooden dagger.

He lunged at Tiwha again, only to be impaled through his belly with his own spear.

The remaining river dolphins turned tail and fled, heading back towards their own waters.

Tiwha chuckled. "If those that have challenged us since we arrived here represent the mightiest of these waters, we'll be ruling them in no time."


End file.
